More than 20 witnesses are expected to give evidence starting with Mr Manase when the trial begins.

Last year the National Court ordered that the petition go for trial after it refused an objection to competency application by the respondent and ordered that all the grounds except for one will proceed to trial.

Among the grounds that Mr Manase and his lawyers will be arguing are that Mr Polye was declared before he reached the absolute majority, five ballot boxes from other candidates were wrongly rejected from the counting area, there were more ballot papers distributed and cast by voters than on the common roll and that the electoral commission failed to appoint a replacement returning officer when the original returning officer had resigned.